French Onion Potato Soup

I got into a bit of a pickle on Thanksgiving last week when the supply of leeks that I expected to be delivered, wasn’t. I haven’t served a Thanksgiving dinner in 25 years that hasn’t started with soup, twenty three of those years my legendary potato leek soup, the recipe of which I will take to my grave. As luck would have it, my number one son shared a recipe that he had recently discovered, and I took the opportunity to give that a try, adapting it to suit my needs. What a winner! Creamy, flavorful, and with the wonderful nuttiness of Gruyere cheese. Make a meal out of this with a side salad and crusty roll, or serve it as a starter for an elegant meal. Either way, don’t pass this one up.

French Onion Potato Soup

Heavily adapted from cookingprofessionally.com

 5 T. butter

 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced*

 1 t. dried thyme

 1 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 bay leaf

2 garlic cloves

½ c. dry white wine

 2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

6 c. low-sodium chicken broth

½ c. heavy cream

6 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated

In a 4-qt. pot, melt 4 T. butter over medium heat. Stir in thyme, onion, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir occasionally for 10-15 minutes, or until the onion is slightly golden brown and soft. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and wine, cooking until the wine has mostly evaporated, about one minute.

 Mix in the chicken broth and potatoes, bringing it to a boil. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Mix in the remaining tablespoon of butter, heavy cream, and Gruyere, stirring until blended.

 *I used a mandolin for this. 

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